spiritual style inventory

Search Tools

2012 The Church Guide LLC

Spiritual Style Inventory

Introduction

The potential for any healthy relationship ultimately starts with the click of two

personalities. And investing your spiritual life in a faith community should be a healthy

relationship. Spiritual style isnt about theology, doctrine, or beliefs about Christianity. Its

the part of your personality that clicks with God and a group of His people.

Faith communities also possess a primary spiritual style, or personality. The type of

community you invite into your relationship with God makes a big difference in whether or

not you feel supported, nourished, and able to grow.

This Spiritual Style Inventory is adapted from the Spirituality Wheel published by Dr.

Corinne Ware in her book, Discover Your Spiritual Type ( 1995 The Alban Institute, Inc.)

While there are numerous spiritual type and style tools available on the Internet and in

bookstores, I chose to base my Spiritual Style Inventory on Dr. Wares work because her tool

applies to both individuals and faith communities.

This instrument is for individuals. Ive adapted the community components in Step 2:

Common Spiritual Style of the Healthy Choice Checklist under Search Tools.

http://www.thechurchguide.net/search-tools

Search Tools



Find Your Spiritual Style

Your personality style shapes your spirituality style, and knowing this can help you find the right faith

community. This inventory helps you answer the question, Does this church/community/group have

the same spiritual style as I do? Then it links you to the resources for finding a church that offers a

potential healthy relationship. As you search for a faith community, use these tools to match your

individual spiritual style with your best search options.

Start by circling the statements below that best describe you and your preferences. Circle as many as

you want among the 44 offered. Then record your answers on the Scorecard to identify your

dominant spiritual style(s). Then, use the information provided in both the Church Choices and

Search Strategies for your style(s) to better understand and find a compatible group.

I connect with God in worship through

1. Liturgy (order of worship service), rituals, and traditions 2. God moving freely and powerfully among participants in His holy house of worship. 3. Communal devotions, repetition in petitions, or experiencing Gods creation (natural

settings) 4. Acting in service to God in the world 5. Spoken prayers for praise, knowledge, and guidance 6. Spoken prayers expressive of feelings and that call out Gods presence, glory, and power 7. Quiet prayers and meditation 8. Life and work = prayers 9. Music and lyrics that praise God and reflect my beliefs about Him 10. Music and lyrics expressive of my feelings and emotions toward Gods glory and power 11. Chants and tonal music 12. Music and lyrics that motivate and inspire commitment to a greater cause

I best connect with Gods presence through a form of worship that is

13. Orderly and timely 14. Unstructured and emotionally freeing 15. Quiet and meditative 16. Working against worldly injustices

A meaningful worship message for me is when

17. Thoughts and beliefs align in a sermon 18. Gods words invoke an emotional transformation for me and others 19. The mysteries of God are present (spoken messages may actually distract from feeling the

presence of God) 20. Tangible connections exist between action and beliefs (difficult to find meaning in traditional

preaching)

http://www.thechurchguide.net/church-choiceshttp://www.thechurchguide.net/search-strategies

Search Tools


I feel closer to God when I am

21. Reading/studying His Word 22. Experiencing His Presence/Helping others experience Him 23. Spending quiet time with Him/nature 24. Righting wrongs of the world

I see God more clearly in

25. Scripture and Sermon 26. Testimonies and Witnessing 27. Nature and Solitude 28. Working for a Cause

I connect with God through other people in

29. Communal gatherings and learning 30. Personal accounts about Gods presence/shared experiences 31. Retreats, mentoring, and intimate gatherings 32. Groups with likeminded focus, interests, and mission work

I express my faith best in

33. Corporate worship, groups studies, and in my lifes calling 34. Telling my personal testimony, helping others experience Jesus love, and sharing music and

the Gospel in secular settings 35. Spiritual counseling, written reflections, and being a good steward of Gods creation 36. What I do and how I treat and help others

I grow spiritually through

37. Knowing and understanding God 38. Experiencing a personal encounter, or someone elses experience, with God 39. Seeking and hearing Gods voice within my heart 40. Bringing Gods Kingdom to others in service and mission

My faith journey is

41. A process of growing closer to God 42. A personal association with the Living God 43. A quest to find God 44. A way of life in service to God

Search Tools



Spiritual Style Scorecard

A B C D

1

5

9

13

17

21

25

29

33

37

41

2

6

10

14

18

22

26

30

34

38

42

3

7

11

15

19

23

27

31

35

39

43

4

8

12

16

20

24

28

32

36

40

44

Keep in mind, the Spiritual Style Inventory isnt meant to catalog and label you as a specific type, but rather to guide your search for the best potential matches for you and a church. Recognizing a church that clicks with God in the same way you do is a huge advantage in the search. Use the links below your dominant type(s) to learn compatible church Characteristics and Search Strategies for your spiritual style.

Group A: Headies Your Score: _______

Click links for Headie Church Choice Characteristics and Headie Church Search Strategies

Group B: Hearties Your Score: _______

Click links for Heartie Church Choice Characteristics and Heartie Church Search Strategies

Group C: Mystics Your Score: _______

Click links for Mystic Church Choice Characteristics and Mystic Church Search Strategies

Group D: Advocates Your Score: _______

Click links for Advocate Church Choice Characteristics and Advocate Church Search Strategies

How to Score Your Inventory

1. First, circle on this grid the same numbers you circled in the survey.

2. Second, add up how many numbers (maximum 11 in each column) you

circled in each column; enter that total at the bottom of each column.

3. Third, write your scores for the groups in the spaces provided below by

the Group names Headies, Hearties, Advocates, and Mystics.

4. Finally, use the links for each group to learn more about the

Characteristics of your spiritual style and what Search Strategies you can

use to find churches with similar personalities.

If you have one truly dominant style, finding a church with a matching spiritual

style should be a major consideration.

Or, if you have two or more styles that are relatively balanced, you can be a

little less specific and possibly match with several different faith communities

types.

Equal distribution among all four types is unusual, but means you are totally

adaptable to just about any church style.

Your Score

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